An over view of the California Water Wars for students in "The Waterless West" course, part of the NCSSM 2011 Summer Symposium on the Global Water Crisis

1. The California Water Wars The Waterless West

2. The Architects from left to right: J.B. Lippincott, Fred Eaton, and William Mulholland

3. The Owens River Valley The Owens Valley lies 200+ miles from Los Angeles

4. The Hopes of the Owens Valley In the first decade of the twentieth century, Owens Valley residents anticipated a Bureau of Reclamation Project to irrigate their farmlands. J.B. Lippincott was the USBR official in charge of projects in the Pacific region. He was also a resident of Los Angeles. While serving as USBR Supervising Engineer, Lippincott simultaneously served on a Board of Engineers researching access to water for Los Angeles.

5. The Hopes of the Owens Valley LA officials used Lippincott’s connection to the USBR to befuddle Owens Valley residents Following an appeal by a CA State Senator to President T. Roosevelt, he declared “it is a hundred or a thousand fold more important to the state and more valuable to the people as a whole if used by the city than if used by the people of the Owens Valley” Against the recommendations of the State Representative from Inyo County, CA.